


you fell into my arms (and in between my legs)

by jengao



Series: demons and angels [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Non-Penetrative Sex, explicit but with a plot, ignore typos please, making out blowjobs and handjobs essentially, mark and jaehyun make a cameo, vampire!jeno and fallen angel! jaemin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 12:41:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17746085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jengao/pseuds/jengao
Summary: jeno wants the blood of a fallen, but he gets more than he bargains for when he meets na jaemin.





	you fell into my arms (and in between my legs)

**Author's Note:**

> dont like dont read.
> 
> prequel to the wet blood dripping from your lips(tastes so good) [part 2 in the series]

jeno emptied his shot glass over, and over, and over. again and again, he felt the bitter alcohol burn his throat and even after so many shots, he was only tipsy. vampires never got drunk easily, after all. but jeno needed, wanted, absolutely to escape his thoughts.

he hadn’t had blood in so long. not the blood of a partner’s specifically. drinking the leftovers of renjun’s catches never had the same kick. and for a vampire, there was never anything more delicious than the blood of a lover. a lover who submitted their all to them, mentally and physically. for jeno, to have full command over someone’s mind and body was addicting, but he yet to find that person.

it’s why he spent countless nights at bars and parties, but they never ended in nothing more that one night stands and hookups that lasted for two weeks at most. he wasn’t always able to drink, especially if he was with a human, but he always got the occasional willing warlock or parabatai. 

even with a laundry list of people he had fucked, jeno had yet to taste an angel. a fallen to be specific. he had only heard stories of how their blood, golden and glittery, tasted like falls that filled heaven itself. but once they fell out of heaven, their blood turned a slightly darker shade of gold and took on even better stronger taste. and jeno was going to make one his.

jeno poured himself yet another shot when a hand on his suddenly stopped him. 

“you’ve been drinking a lot, you sure your liver can take it?”

jeno clicked his tongue, knitting his eyebrows together. calm. calm. calm. 

“i think i know my lack of organs better than you do.” jeno looked up at the intruding stranger, his eyes flashing red in anger before widening, softening slightly even, at the sight of the boy staring at him.

jeno expected him to be confused by the comment about his absence of functioning organs, but the boy just smiled at him as he took the seat next to him. if jeno still had a beating heart, it would have jumped into his throat and out of his mouth by now. fuck, did his eyes just sparkle?

he eyed jeno up and down, and grinned when he saw a glint of fangs. 

“do vampires love all shopping from the same place?”

“huh?”

“i swear you all steal your outfits from a hot topic store front.”

“....a what now?” jeno was so fucking confused. and the feeling was compounded when the boy doubled over in laughter. his laugh, jeno hated to admit it (it’s so corny), sounded like music? he didn’t know how else to describe it. his body was cold to the touch, but somehow jeno felt like he was on fire. this boy couldn’t be human. there was absolutely no way.

“you should see the look on your face! for someone who’s dead your expressions are pretty funny!” the boy wiped tears from his eyes. jeno looked closer. were those… sparkes?

jeno racked his head… an angel? but angels don’t cry; can they cry?

“the name is jaemin, by the way. what about you, vampire?”

“jeno.” 

jaemin hummed, trying out jeno’s name. It slipped off his tongue, making jeno shudder. how did he say it and make jeno feel like an old lover was calling out to him? jaemin had known him for all but five minutes. all jeno knew was that he wanted to hear him say his name again. and as he eyed the boy’s long legs and waist, jeno could imagine a few other scenarios he wanted to hear jaemin calling his name.

“you’re an angel, aren’t you?” it was a question but jeno said it more like a statement, because he already knew the answer. jaemin’s silence confirmed it. the smile dropped from his face for a split second before his face slipped the mask back on. there was something he wasn’t gonna let jeno in on. 

“and if i am? what are you gonna do about it, report me to heaven HR?”

jeno stared.

“that was supposed to be joke, dumbass.”

“it wasn’t a good one.” jeno smirked as jaemin rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his arms.

“oh so look! it does have bite after all!”

jeno grinned wide this time, his fangs on full display.

“oh, i do more than just bite.” jaemin’s rosy cheeks paled a little at the comment, his mouth twitching a little. vampires were always a little slow on the uptake, but sexy regardless. and this one— jeno— was definitely no exception. he watched with careful eyes as jeno poured himself another drink. his shot disappeared down his throat in a matter of seconds, his eyes screwing shut as he focused on the taste. jaemin unconsciously licked his lips. 

“what did you do to fall out of god’s favour?” jeno turned his attention back to jaemin, who was still fidgeting in his seat. he stilled as jeno spoke.

jaemin played dumb, and jeno rolled his eyes.

“you’re here, flirting with me. so you must be a fallen.”

and it was true. jaemin was indeed a fallen. ironically, it was also why he fell. 

“i fell for a human… sacrificed myself for her only for her to leave me. by the time she left, i was no longer welcome back.” jaemin pointed up, punctuating the last two words with his finger.

“that was stupid.”

“falling in love?”

“falling for a human.”

jaemin couldn’t respond. he knew what the consequences of his actions would be, yet at the time he couldn’t stop himself. but, he waved his hand, smiling and effectively bringing the topic to a close. it had happened more than a century ago; jaemin had moved on long ago. jeno understood and changed subjects.

“and so now you do what? hang around bars all night until you’re piss poor drunk?”

jaemin nodded to his head towards the shot glass in front of jeno.

“aren’t you one to talk.” he smirked again, a devious smile taking over the angel’s face. 

“i’ve always been like-”

“been, like what? looking for a hookup?” jaemin leaned closer to jeno, their knees bumping into each other. jeno gasped slightly, pulling back from the younger boy. jaemin was pretty, really pretty, and hot. and even prettier up close. jeno stared at his lips a bit too long, licking his fangs. this didn’t go unnoticed by the angel, who let his hand fall from the counter onto jeno’s thigh. the vampire bristled for a second but he didn’t make an attempt to move away from jaemin’s touch. 

“... why are you asking?”

jaemin just tipped his head to side, smiling at jeno. jeno felt slightly…. threatened? which was a new one. jaemin was eyeing him with feline like ferocity, and jeno suddenly felt like a mouse caught between a pair of paws as jaemin’s hand crawled up his thigh, squeezing tightly. jaemin smirked as he leaned in close to the vampire, his breath fanning on jeno’s chin and his eyes glancing down at jeno’s mouth. 

jeno’s lips involuntarily parted, his eyes flickering down to jaemin’s dangerously close ones. jeno only let his eyes dart up once but jaemin’s eyes were already half closed, moving to close the distance between them. jeno’s hand slipped down to jaemin’s waist, pulling him closer until he was in between his legs. jaemin moaned into the vampire’s mouth, his hand pulling at the hair at jeno’s nape. he jumped when he felt jeno’s fangs prick the tip of his tongue, the taste of metal colouring the kiss. jeno only hummed in satisfaction. 

so this is how angels tasted. 

soon jaemin found himself pressed against the wall in some corner, jeno’s hands roaming his body, his fingers dragging along jaemin’s abdomen until jaemin was moaning from the pain. he had his head thrown back, his body shaking and his will crumbing under jeno’s fingers. jeno’s eyes traced up jaemin’s body from where he was kneeling in front of his waist. god, he was fucking gorgeous. 

jeno pressed an experimental kiss on jaemin’s upper thigh, relishing in the way jaemin’s body jittered in response. his breathing was getting heavier as he kept begging jeno to suck him off already. but jeno was already undoing his belt. soon, jaemin was shaking as jeno stared up at him from below. his fangs faintly dragged along jaemin’s length in a way that had jaemin shaking and coming in jeno’s mouth in a matter of minutes. 

“you sound like a whore.” jeno wiped his chin with the back of his hand as he stood up, pulling up jaemin’s pants as he did so.  jaemin kissed his lips again, tasting himself mixed with a little blood as well. jeno grinned as jaemin sucked on his skin, his tongue dragging down his neck. his hands slipped in between their bodies, jeno groaning as jaemin started palming through his pants.

“sensitive?” jaemin meant to put more bite in his voice, but the words came out airy instead. he was still lightheaded from his orgasm.  jeno also was desperate, as he shook his head, bucking into jaemin’s hands. jaemin dragged the vampire into a bathroom. jaemin pushed jeno against the sink, kissing him again as he ground his own hips into his. they both moaned into the increasingly sloppy kiss, with jaemin repeating the action again and again until he was hard again. 

their pants were soon gone, both taking turns blowing each other. jeno was surprisingly loud, pulling jaemin’s hair as he fucked his mouth. he shamelessly begged for jaemin to quit teasing, his thrusts growing messy and desperate until he completely spilled himself in the angel’s mouth. jaemin looked really pretty with cum leaking out of his mouth, jeno thought.

after his second blowjob of the night, jaemin found himself pressed into the sink, body heaving and breath gasping as jeno bit into his neck. jaemin felt his head start to spin and his vision blur as jeno continued. jeno had one hand in jaemin’s hair holding it back while the other pulled the collar of his shirt down. his fangs only pierced the angel’s neck once before it started dripping golden blood. jaemin tried to ignore the foreign feeling of his blood being suctioned out of him.

jeno swiped his tongue across where he had bit into jaemin, applying pressure with his lips until it stopped bleeding. the vampire pulled back, eyes glowing red and grinning. jaemin’s blood still dripped from the corner of his lips, slowly turning to red. jaemin’s vision was hazy at best, still having trouble focusing on anything more than a few inches in front of him. jeno told him he might feel sick after but he thought he could handle it. clearly, he couldn’t.

jaemin felt his heavy eyelids close as he fell into jeno’s arms, his legs failing him as all the strength drained from his body. 

jaemin woke up the next morning in a bed, alone. he could barely remember anything, and his neck vaguely ached, like a ghost of fangs were still sunk in his skin. 

fangs. last night. bathroom…. vampire. jeno. 

jaemin pulled the sheets off, realizing he was fully clothed in clean clothes that clearly wasn’t his own. still, he dragged himself out of the bed, making his way out of the bedroom into the hallway.

“you finally up sleeping beauty?” jeno’s soft smile greeted jaemin. he was still clad in black, but this time just a black tshirt and sweats. 

“i didn’t know you wear glasses?” jaemin slid into a chair, resting his head in his hands as he watched jeno pour them both a glass of water. 

“you barely know me at all.”

“and yet……..” jaemin trailed off, sure that jeno understood what he was referring to.

“how is your neck this morning?” jaemin gingerly touched the spot when jeno had pierced his skin the night before, but he felt no pain. jeno explained he had applied ointment when he brought him home last night. the scar was already fading and would be completely gone in a matter of days. jaemin wouldn’t have minded. 

jaemin showered and borrowed some of jeno’s clothes before leaving his apartment. as he stood on the street outside jeno’s building, he stared up in the direction of jeno’s window. he didn’t see him, but jaemin wasn’t expecting to either. 

jaemin found himself in front jeno’s door a few days later, his clothes cleaned and folded in a bag next to him, a box of chocolates on top. could vampires even eat chocolate? it was just garlic that they were allergic to jaemin was pretty sure. 

his hand hovered over the door, suddenly scared to knock. did jeno want to even see him? what if he had someone over? jaemin shook his head, lightly tapping at the door before he lost the courage to do so. when he heard nothing, jaemin started to panic that maybe he hadn’t knocked hard enough. raising his hand, jaemin froze when jeno opened the door. 

he was in a black bathrobe, hair damp and slick against his forehead from his shower. jaemin gulped trying not to stare too long at jeno’s exposed chest. he looked even better than he remembered. 

“jaemin?”

jaemin held out the bag, a sheepish smile gracing his face. jeno gave a shy grin, pulling jaemin by the arm into his apartment. the door closed right behind them as jaemin dropped the bag and stumbled out of his shoes, jeno catching him in his arms.

“always this clumsy?”

“you’re the one always putting your hands all over me.”

the mood in the room changed quickly, jaemin staring at jeno’s face. his lips looked so red. jaemin realized it must have meant he had just drank. yet, he couldn’t fight the urge to let jeno drink from him again. it had been like a magnetic force, driving jaemin insane since that first night in the bar. now being in the same room so close to jeno, jaemin felt like all his nerves were alert on fire.  he missed him. jeno had too.

they collapsed on jeno’s couch, jeno’s body pressing jaemin into the cushions. jeno kissed jaemin with the passion of years long lovers. he couldn’t explain the intensifying feelings he felt for the angel. he had read once that when a vampire finds their ideal lover and drink their blood, nothing else could satisfy them. maybe that was what had happened with jaemin. was this fallen angel really the one whose fate was tied to jeno’s?

as jeno drowned in the taste of jaemin’s mouth and body, he became more and more sure that, perhaps yes, jaemin was indeed the one. when jaemin dragged him by the belt of his robe to the bedroom, pulling it open in the process, jeno knew jaemin was the one. and when jeno threw his head against the pillow, his fingers digging into jaemin’s back as his body reacted to the angel’s mischievous mouth and fingers, jaemin knew too.

jaemin came over plenty more times after that. at one point, he was at jeno’s apartment more often than not. but that’s how he liked it best. he got to see his boyfriend almost every second of every day. and because they weren’t humans, they didn’t have to concern themselves with the small details of life. in fact, they had a long time ahead of them.

“hey, babe, how old are you again?”

“243 years. why?” jeno didn’t look up from his book.

“just bragging to my friend how hot my boyfriend is despite being ancient.”

jeno snapped his book shut, turning to look at jaemin with a quizzical expression.

“hey! it’s not my fault that angels don’t age!”

it was true; angels were immortal and didn’t age. but because jaemin had fallen, his life span was shorted and his days numbered. but compared to humans, he and jeno still had eternity together, and they were going to enjoy every moment of it. 

but even if they didn’t need to technically work, living full time in the human realm still required expendable cash. meaning, jaemin had to go back to his day job as a barista. it wasn’t much but it covered the costs for his studio apartment and groceries. jeno worked as a market analyst for a telecommunications company, meaning he often did conference calls from home with flexible hours and generous pay. jaemin was surprised, but then again, jeno had expensive taste. 

jeno had told jaemin to quit his day job but the angel insisted he still worked part time. to compromise, jeno convinced jaemin to move in with him after their six month anniversary. jaemin had resisted at first but relented in the end, the idea of waking up to jeno (who bragged about only sleeping in his boxers, if anything) rather enticing. turned out jeno wasn’t bluffing, much to jaemin’s delight. 

their mornings started out sweet enough. as the days went by, jeno would find himself waking up with jaemin curled into his side and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing his boyfriend awake. on the days jaemin would wake up first, he developed a habit of letting his hands trace down jeno’s chest to the waistband of his boxers, which always had him pulling jaemin into his chest, pressing kisses all across his face. but it was never enough for jaemin. he wanted to see just how far he could go with his boyfriend.

it was sunday morning; neither jeno nor jaemin had any plans today. they were going to most likely spend a lazy day indoors, at least until jaemin managed to drag jeno out to a bar to get wasted. but for, jaemin had his hands full, literally. 

jeno was knocked out cold, even for a vampire, and jaemin eased the covers off his body gently. he admired his boyfriend’s body, proudly on display. slowly, jaemin climbed on top of jeno’s body, until he was straddling him. he moved to pepper wet kisses along jeno’s chest, one hand palming jeno’s length through his too tight briefs. jaemin tried to keep quiet, but even when jeno stirred underneath a few seconds later, he kept going. 

“... jaemin, what are you………” jeno trailed off as jaemin started to swirl his tongue around his nipple, moaning as his boyfriend pulled him out of his briefs completely. the older boy groaned as his boyfriend continued tease him with his hands and mouth. he was a devil, memorizing every single sensitive spot on jeno’s body, and he loved nothing more than making jeno’s body convulse. jaemin continued to pump jeno until he was coming all over his hand. the angel sat up, eyeing jeno as he licked his fingers clean, one by one. jeno stared at his boyfriend through hooded eyes, blinking quickly in an attempt to get them to focus. 

jaemin smiled and bent down close to his face, pressing an uncharacteristically chaste kiss to jeno’s lips. jeno smiled into the kiss, pulling back to whisper ‘i love you’ before closing the space between their lips again. they stayed like that, with jaemin rolling off jeno and allowing him to hover over his body instead.

“mmmm... i have to return the favour, yes?” jeno’s voice was still deep from sleep, sending chills down jaemin’s spine. he could only weakly nod his head before jeno went down on him, pushing jaemin’s shirt up while he put his mouth to use. and giving head was jeno’s speciality. 

even on evenings, the pair were unable to keep their hands off each other. the more they got to know each other, the more their attraction intensified. both had come home from their shifts, and jaemin was in the kitchen making dinner while jeno took a shower. he came out in nothing but a bath towel wrapped around his waist just as jaemin was plating their meal. jaemin held his breath as the smell of jeno’s shampoo filled the room. he smelled so good. and looked even better. he couldn’t wait until dinner was over, a plan already taking shape in his mind. 

“and dessert?” jeno smirked as he asked, both of them already knowing the answer to that question. 

the night ended with jeno pressing soft kisses to jaemin’s legs, making the angel turn red and eventually cry when jeno wouldn’t stop overstimulating him. jaemin fell asleep happily in jeno’s arms after a warm shower. who needed to get drunk when he had jeno to take care of him.

jeno also ended up more talkative than jaemin would have first assumed. he was always curious about jaemin’s time in the heavens. childish like curiosity fueled jeno, who was always itching to learn more about the realm of pure light than he would never be able to reach. 

turns out, jaemin was a more of a artistic storyteller than jeno would have initially have given credit for. he described the heavens in stark detail, painting a picture of pure paradise. fruits hung from every tree, rivers of fresh water, milk, and honey coursed and flowed through the entirely. gardens and meadows of every imaginable flora and flocks of song birds that filled the canopies. it was a place devoid of anger, fear, and anguish. there was no hurt; no pain. only serenity, divinity, and peace.  

jaemin missed it dearly. he had never left until he fell. but he could never go back. so now all that was left was to recreate that same sense of home with jeno. 

and jeno was very good at keeping jaemin in a state of eternal bliss. 

one day, jeno was working from home and had a conference call later in the afternoon. often lazy, he was only dressed top up. he was wearing a white dress shirt, simple tie and a blazer, his hair slightly slicked back and circular frames balance on his nose. but underneath the view of camera, all he had on was boxers. he never saw the point of wearing pants if they were going to see to see from the waist up anyway.

this was specially tempting for jaemin, who always fought the urge to sneak underneath the coffee table and in between his boyfriend's legs. instead, he opted to watch from the kitchen counter, chewing on his bottom lip as jeno meticulously went over the details of reports he had prepared.

it was also summer and even with the air conditioning running, it quickly got stuffy. jeno slipped off his blazer, rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt to his elbows, running his hands through his hair as he continued to speak and listen to his coworkers on the other end of the call. jaemin's eyes glazed over in lust. his body started moving on his own accord, and a couple minutes later he was crawling underneath the table, much to jeno's panic.

yet, he kept his voice steady, staring straight ahead as he did his best to ignore jaemin's roaming hands on his thighs. just as one of jeno's coworkers launched into a long-winded rebuttal of his report, jaemin took his chance.

he started my pressing open-mouthed kisses into jeno's inner thighs, who immediately tensed up. jeno dug his fingers into the chair, his toes curling as he tried to keep a neutral face. but he didn't push jaemin away. so, the angel kept going. he began to mouth jeno over his briefs, testing his reaction. jeno's fingers were in jaemin's hair in an instant as he pulled his boyfriend's face closer in between his legs. jeno, top-up, was still holding it together. but as jaemin continued teasing, jeno was forced to move the laptop a bit further back, hoping no one would notice the way he was sweating.

when jaemin proceeded to take him fully into his mouth, jeno held his breath, visibly freezing.

"jeno? is everything all right?"

"yes, of course! just a sudden chill that's all." jaemin snicked below. it was summer, dumbass.

jeno, though unable to move his hips, controlled the pace still as he pulled jaemin's head by his hair.  when jaemin let out a muffled moan, jeno pulled his hair a bit too hard, causing sparkling tears to fall from his eyes. jeno threw a warning glance towards his boyfriend but averted his eyes when jaemin stared back through his lashes with an innocent expression, eyes shiny and wide. 

jeno glanced at his watch. ten minutes. ten minutes until he could fuck jaemin’s face until his jaw was bruised. 

as soon as the conference call disconnected, jeno shut his laptop and shoved the computer table back. jaemin stilled for a moment, caught off guard by jeno’s movements. he squeaked slightly as jeno pushed him away and pulled his briefs off completely and undid his tie. jaemin already had saliva pooling in his mouth, but as he stared at jeno pop the buttons of his dress shirt one by one, it started to drip down his chin. 

jaemin was dragged back in between jeno’s legs, and the vampire didn’t give him the chance to moan or tease this time. jeno was spilling himself all over jaemin’s face and chest minutes later, dragging his fingers through the strings of come on the angels face, holding his fingers out for jaemin. he took them whole in his mouth, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked jeno’s fingers clean for him. he did this again and again, moaning and bobbing his head up and down on jeno’s long, thick fingers each time. 

it wasn’t always all love and kisses for the couple, for jaemin explained to jeno that being a fallen had its shortfalls. not only was jaemin stripped of all his angelic abilities (such as being able to influence the hearts of humans or being able to see into the near future) but he was also now a fugitive of sorts. it was the reason he hopped from job to job; jaemin could never settle down in one place for too long before he had reapers knocking down his door.

“reapers? don’t they claim human souls?”

“they do, but they’re also tasked with dragging back fallen angels to the gates of heaven.”

sometimes fallen were captured alive and brought back to repay for their transgressions. no one could ever tell jaemin exactly what happened after that, because no fallen ever fell from the heavens twice. it was better for the reapers to kill you, even if it was the most torturous pain one could experience.

jaemin had a few close run-ins with a few reapers on occasion but had managed to escape unscathed for the most part. he hadn’t seen one since he had since he moved in with jeno. they later learned that it was because vampires, considered creatures born of lucifer, repelled reapers. they could come in contact with them, but it was often easier to simply stay away. 

“just stick by my side, jaem. i’ll keep you safe.” jeno had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, and jaemin adored it.

“you sound like the protagonist of a shitty shoujo manga, no thanks.”  

“yeah, like the ones you read and jerk off to when i'm not home and hide under our bed.”

jaemin paled considerably, especially since his cheeks always had a rosy glow to them. jeno only laughed at jaemin’s dumbstruck expression. he was only joking, but judging by jaemin’s expression, he had hit the nail right on the head. 

a couple of weeks later, they were at another party. this one was after hours at a bar a bit further that was popular with those of the nonhuman kind. meaning, you had werewolves, vampires, warlocks, and demons all mixing in the open, nothing hidden. there were only a few angels present, with jaemin the one receiving the most attention. it was starting to get on jeno’s nerves, quite frankly.

jaemin also was the type to eat up attention as well, no matter who or where it came from. partially because he was an attention whore by default. partially because he knew he got jeno jealous and possessive. and that would mean another night spent in with jeno shoving jaemin to his knees to teach him a lesson. a lesson that jaemin refused to learn. 

even now, right as jeno was sitting next to him, jaemin paid full attention to the girl offering to buy him another drink. he knew jaemin was only doing this to push his buttons, but he didn’t like how wide or genuine his smile looked. 

“i’m yerim, but you can call me yeri.” the girl smiled, sickeningly sweet, much to jeno’s chagrin. annoying bitch. 

“and you can call him my boyfriend.” jeno loved the way her face dropped, absolutely humiliated as others near them snickered. she pulled her jacket closer to her body, leaving her seat with a huff, head held high (or at least she tried to). serves her right, jeno thought.

“why’d you do that?” jaemin’s voice was flat, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. 

jeno sighed, slumping in his seat, back leaning into the bar as he looked at the scene in front of him without focusing on anything in particular. these things were never as fun for him as they were for jaemin, who thrived in environments like this. jeno only came along for the ride. 

jeno noticed a pair of boys making their way towards them. dressed in all black, much like him. vampires, probably. jaemin, however, started fidgeting and was panicking; visibly. 

“..jaemin?”

“jeno. they’re- they’re here.” jaemin’s eyes were darting around the darkly lit space; futile since he wouldn’t be able to spot his assailants until they were dangerously close. 

another ability jaemin lost once he fell from the heavens; the ability to see other angels. this included the reapers. he could only see them once they got close to him, which was often too late for him to able to escape. 

only the fallen were visible to each other. together, it was possible they could sense where the reapers were and escape before they were caught. that was how jaemin avoided capture many times before he met jeno. because alone, they were sitting ducks. but jeno; jeno could see them. and with him closeby, they could never come close enough to actually take jaemin. 

however, their mere proximity was enough to send jaemin into shock, his senses and nerves overriding as they attempted to make him collapse.  jaemin was already shaking next to jeno. gruesome images flashed behind his eyes, the reapers slowly creeping into his mind. he couldn’t find his voice either, his throat turning dry like sandpaper. 

jeno looked at the pair of boys who he had spotted minutes before; they weren’t vampires at all. they were the reapers, the ones doing this to jaemin. they had since stopped trying to get closer to the— they couldn’t get any closer because of jeno. 

they simply stood a few feet away, just outside of jaemin’s range of vision, and watched silently as the angel’s resolve crumbled, his mind collapsing in on itself because of their presence. jeno had to act quickly before jaemin passed out. he grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him to his feet and away from the reapers. he covered jaemin’s eyes as the reapers attempted to dive closer to them and into jaemin’s line of vision. 

jaemin, who still couldn’t speak, let out a painful shriek as tears fell from his eyes, the pain consuming his body. no one paid them any attention, jaemin’s cries lost in the music. still, the reapers pursued them, weaving through the crowd, hot on jeno and jaemin’s trail. jeno’s body jerked as he lost his footing for split second, losing his grip on jaemin in the process who hit the floor, hard. even if the bar wasn’t so dark, jaemin still wouldn’t be able to see; the reapers had already stolen his vision. jaemin clutched his chest, trying to breathe and shut his eyes tight, curling into a ball in a pathetic attempt of self-preservation. 

jeno, clutched his shoulder, agonizing pain shutting down his senses. he felt around his back until his fingers came in contact with cold metal covered in slick liquid, his own blood. jeno sucked in a breath before gripping the hilt and pulling it out of his body in one fluid motion. his eyes burned a deep red, his fangs stinging his lips and his mouth turned up into a snarl.

the silver knife, which was doused in holy water, clattered to the floor, covered in red from the hilt to the lethally sharp tip. jeno’s senses started to slowly come back, but the incision from the knife stung his back, even though it had only pierced his skin for less than a minute. but he would have to ignore the pain, for now. jaemin was getting worse by the second and the reapers were now less than a foot away. jaemin’s eyes clouded over, tears overflowing while acute fear and dread took over his face. 

jaemin could see the reapers. 

“we’re going to take you, just like we took him.” their voices filled jaemin’s head, like worms burrowing in dirt. jaemin felt his lungs start to collapse in on themselves. so, this is what he saw. 

jeno grabbed jaemin with his good arm, pulling his body like it was a corpse. anything to get him away from the angels that were about to claim his soul. jaemin’s head started roll back, his legs giving in. still, he pulled him until they were outside, the cool fall air hitting their faces like shards of ice. he let go of jaemin, who fell to his knees, spluttering like someone who finally came up for air after being underwater for too long. sweat dripped from his body, his clothes lightly sticking to his skin. all a clear sign of how much effort jaemin was exerting in order to stay conscious, even when he was experiencing mind-numbing hot and cold flashes. 

jeno called an uber, quicky pulling jaemin into his arms and holding him close until they were back in his apartment. since then, jaemin’s heartbeat had returned to normal but a sheen of sweat still covered his body. he shivered as jeno sat him down, leaving him with his jacket.

“i'm gonna go run a warm bath, just hold on, okay?”

jaemin could meekly shake his head, tears threatening to spill out. jeno came back a few minutes later, slowly peeling off jaemin’s clothing one by one. he tried to help him to his feet first but it quickly became obvious that was impossible. jeno slipped an arm under jaemin’s legs while the other wrapped around his waist. carrying him bridal-style, jeno took his boyfriend to the bathroom, slowly letting him down into the filled bathtub.

jaemin’s body recoiled at the sudden change in temperature before he slowly relaxed, his body melting into the water. jeno stayed by him the whole time, wiping his tears whenever they appeared. 

“you're okay. are you listening to me? jaemin.”

“.... jaemin they're gone. you're safe now.”

jaemin couldn't find his voice, but jeno felt his chest swell when jaemin looked him in the eyes, a small smile fitting his lips. when he was done, he wrapped him a bathrobe and carried him once more to their bedroom. he dried his hair and put rubbed jaemin’s favorite lotion into his skin until he smelled of roses and honey. 

jeno grabbed some extra blankets and tucked jaemin into bed, only leaving his side once he started to doze off, his eyelids fluttering closed. the vampire silently slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. 

jeno reached to touch his back, hissing in pain. it was still slick with blood. the vampire resigned himself to the bathroom for the next two hours, knowing it was going to take a lot of blood packets and ambrosia to heal the gaping hole and scar left from the holy water.

the next morning, jeno woke up first. in the kitchen making jaemin’s favorite breakfast (blueberry pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries on top). jaemin slowly woke up and made his way into kitchen, smiling at the sight of his boyfriend in an apron and shorts nothing else.

“pancakes the only thing on the menu this morning?” jaemin slipped into a stool, leaning his head on his hands as he watched jeno mix the batter. jeno only smirked, turning around so his exposed back faced jaemin, who let out a whistle. (thankfully, jeno had just enough ambrosia heal his back completely. and jaemin was in too much pain to remember anything else.) both boys burst out into giggles after.

an hour later, jaemin was slumped over in his chair, filled to the brim in pancakes.

“you really should’ve stopped after the third one.” jeno collected his plate and jaemin’s, taking everything to the sink.

“you know how much i love your pancakes.” jeno smiled softly to himself as he turned on the tap, washing the dishes one by one. jaemin sat staring at his boyfriend, a goofy smile filling his face. how did he get so lucky?

“jeno…. thank you.”

the thank you was for everything. for the pancakes, for last night, for being his boyfriend. jaemin owed jeno so much more, for jeno spoiled him; he had from the very beginning. he gave jaemin all the attention he could ask for. he listened to him cry, listened to him laugh. he saved his life, literally. what could jaemin ever do for him to return the favour?

“don’t worry yourself by overthinking.” jeno said like he had read jaemin’s mind. 

he shut off the faucet, drying his hands on towel before walking back to where jaemin was still sitting his chair. jeno in front of his boyfriend now, hands reaching down to cup his cheek, which jaemin immediately leaned into. jeno pulled him into a hug, jaemin’s face buried in jeno’s stomach as his arms held the vampire’s waist. a single tear escaped his eyes. 

“that was the closest they ever got to me in over a year.” jaemin shivered, as jeno pulled him closer.

“and... that was the first time I ever saw them, jeno.” jaemin found himself transported back to last night. as soon as jaemin sensed the reapers’ presence, his vision was warped and hazy. at one point, their hold on him was so strong, he saw nothing but pitch black and then blinding white once the pain doubled. it was only when jaemin ended up on the floor that jaemin’s eyesight returned to him, and all he could see were the reapers. he couldn’t even describe them if he wanted to; they were far too gorish to adequately put into words. covered in blood with mutilated skin thinly stretched over their bodies; fangs protruding from their mouths. they didn’t have lips; it seemed like acid was used to scorch them off leaving only bruised gums and teeth exposed instead. no eyes; just pits of darkness where their eye sockets would have been. leathery wings folded behind their back, dragging along the ground as they stepped toward him.

jaemin had been warned about this once before; never look a reaper in the eye. they appeared differently to each fallen, taking the form of their worst nightmares combined into one. stare at one long enough, and they would completely crush your mind in on itself. 

jaemin broke out into sobs again. he realized just how close to death he was. how he was mere seconds away from having his flame snuffed out just like that. he gripped jeno tighter, spilling apology after apology into jeno’s skin, his tears overtaking his face. jeno only stood there, letting jaemin cry as he stroked his hair.

they decided it was best that jaemin stay at jeno’s apartment for the next week. he wasn’t allowed to go out at all, not even the balcony for fresh air. this was because jeno’s apartment, no matter how ‘humanly’ it was furnished, was still the den of a vampire; a home where lucifer was welcome. the reapers would never be able to track jaemin here. their trail would run cold a few blocks from jeno’s building, leaving them stuck behind an invisible barrier they would be unable to cross, lest they wish to explode into flames. 

jeno worked from home for the whole week, trying to finish his work as quickly as possible so he could get back to jaemin. they spent every other second together, jeno making sure to keep jaemin’s mind off what happened. but because he was jeno, it wasn’t that hard. all the vampire had to do was pull his boyfriend into his lap, and jaemin knew what to do next. 

but while jaemin slept in their bed, jeno slipped out at night, attempting to track down the reapers. he had no luck the first few nights, coming back home at the crack of dawn to only sleep well into the afternoon. thankfully, if jaemin knew he didn’t question him. 

it was only on 6th night, that jeno found himself face to face with the angels. he eyed the wooden stake in one of their hands, the silver canteen of holy water in the others.

“come closer, vampire.” they spoke in unison. they still appeared as teenage boys to jeno, but slowly started shifting form, appearing much closer to the versions jaemin had seen that night.

jeno didn’t move, didn’t flinch. they took one step together towards. jeno knew he could tear them both apart in a matter of seconds, only the wooden stake holding him back. he had to be smart about this. 

they didn’t come to talk. the reapers had been looking for jeno as well. they knew he had to be removed before they could go after jaemin. 

it was completely silent for a moment.  and then, they lunged at jeno. in unison.

jeno was quick on his feet, but they were quicker. he dodged them, but not before he felt the wooden stake stab through his forearm. it hurt 10x worse than the knife had, his blood freezing at the spot where it had pierced his skin. jeno pulled it out, letting out a cry as pain coursed through his body. blood drenched his shirt as he pressed the palm of his hand to spot where the stake had just been. the reapers hissed at him, deformed smiles on full view as they circled him. but that was when they made their first mistake: they separated. 

one reaper stood in front of jeno while the other moved behind him. jeno slowly backed up. the one in front of him held the holy water, so the one behind had the stake. he would have to take his chances with the latter but one mistake and he would be on the floor, a stake driven through his dead heart. just as the circle around him closed, jeno turned towards the reaper behind him. 

the reaper only a millisecond to process it. the last thing his eyes saw were jeno’s glowing red ones before they exploded, leaving behind a bloody mess as crimson coloured its eye sockets. jeno made quick work, sinking his fangs into the reaper’s neck while his fingers, now fatal claws, tore first its clothing and then its body. 

jeno pulled his fangs out, wiping his hand along his chin, which was dripping profusely with golden blood. but the blood took on a sickly shade of green, jeno’s poison doing its job. he dropped the lifeless body of the now dead angel, letting it hit the ground with a sickening thud. jeno stood up, knees slightly wobbling before he straightened his back, turning his eyes to the other reaper. 

“we will be back…” the reaper slowly backed away from jeno, fading from view. soon it was quiet again, leaving jeno alone with the dead body inches from his feet. he gave it one last look before making his way back home. he needed to get off the streets before anyone found him. and before jaemin woke up.

jeno managed to sneak into his apartment through the fire escape. thank god he had enough sense to leave the sliding door unlocked. as clicked the door closed, jeno let out a sigh. his arm still burned from the wood. he pulled each splinter out one by one. grimacing, jeno pulled himself together and made his way to the bathroom. he could only hope he had enough ambrosia left. 

morning came and jeno’s arm still ached. at least he was able to wash out all the flecks of blood in his hair and skin. 

jaemin woke up after him, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around jeno. just as jaemin buried his face into his boyfriend’s back, he froze, pulling back.

“jaemin?” 

“... what did you do?”

jaemin already had a sinking feeling in his stomach, and the sorry expression on jeno’s face confirmed it. he had gone after the reapers. 

“did you think you could wash out angel blood?”

“it’s never been a problem with y-”

“that's because i’m a fallen jeno!”

jaemin had easily picked up the reaper’s scent. and judging by how intense it was, there had been blood spilled and a lot of it. jeno wasn't the type to just get into fist fights for fun either. and this wasn’t the first time he had spilled blood because of jaemin. 

but killing a reaper— a high angel of the heavens— was a criminal offense within the realm of the supernatural. a crime punishable by death, according to the High Council. 

“don't worry, they won't be able to prove it was me.” jeno was sure; a vampire’s scent never remained on their victims for more than a couple of hours. 

“did you kill both?”

jeno froze. he had not. what now?

jaemin spent the morning trying to contact the other fallen he knew, trying to gather any leads on how to keep jeno from being attached to the death of the reaper. jeno kept an eye on the door, waiting to see if the Council were going to bash it in and enter with an arrest warrant with his face on it. neither of those happened. as evening rolled in, jeno peeked out the balcony. 

that was when he spotted them. at least a group of five reapers waiting; staring. 

“jeno? what is it?” 

“the reaper I didn't kill, he's back and with reinforcements.”

while five reapers weren't that many, they were enough to easily take down one vampire. there was absolutely no way jeno could kill them all, not without taking a stake through his heart in the process. he only managed to kill one when there were two because they were stupid. they wouldn't make the same mistake again. 

but perhaps, they could be killed in another way.

“jaemin, is vampire blood lethal to angels?”

“lethal? not always but can be, if they’re not fallen like me.”

jeno gripped a seraph in each hand tightly, the long blades dragging along the ground with every step he too. he made his way towards the group of reapers who stood still and silent; they waited and watched jeno’s every move. jeno wore black cargo pants and black muscle tee that left most of his arms exposed and with the knives that hung from his belt, jeno looked more like a vampire hunter than a vampire. 

ten feet. nine feet. eight feet. seven feet. six feet. five feet. they weren’t far now and moved in closer to each other. each held either a stake or glass vial of holy water. those would have to be the first to go. it wouldn’t take too much holy water before they had him down. 

jeno spun the blades in his hands, letting one run across his bicep, splitting the taut skin until there was wide gash spilling fresh blood. he wiped the flat edges of the blade until they were coated and gleaming ruby red. he did the same to his other seraph. 

_ hail mary forgive me _

_ blood for blood, hearts beating _

_ come at me now, this is war! _

jeno ran first, left arm bent in front of his face as he held his right arm straight out to his side. he didn’t have a beating heart, but if he did, he would be high on adrenaline. jeno let his blades connect, shattering the glass vials in the reapers’ possession in seconds. he jumped away quickly, the holy water burning the ground before evaporating into the air. 

jeno felt his neck burn suddenly, one of the reapers grabbing him in a chokehold.

“you’re not leaving here alive, vampire.”

jeno grunted, tears leaking from his eyes as he felt his skin turn leathery under the reaper’s touch. he brought his seraph down on reaper’s arm, grimacing as it screeched in his ear. jeno had managed to slice it’s arm off. clean.

covered chest down in glittering reaper blood, jeno spun on his heel sinking both his blood coated seraphs into the reaper’s chest. he kicked it’s chest with one foot, using all his strength to pull out the daggers at the same time. red and gold blood mixed together on the surface of the silver metal.

jeno barely dodged the wooden stake, with it just barely grazing his arm. he dug his seraph into the neck of the reaper behind him, gritting his teeth as he twisted the knife before pulling it out. suddenly, jeno felt a bottom of a boot connect with his lower back, sending him sprawling on the concrete. his seraphs skittered away from him, a reaper stepping on them until the blood turned brown from the dirt under his boots. jeno tasted blood in his mouth, his own blood. 

“get up.” jeno picked himself off the ground, his legs shaking. or that’s what he wanted them to think. the reaper that had knocked him slowly approached him, stake close to his side. jeno smirked to himself; they thought they had him.

jeno was still hunched over slightly, his hair obscuring his face. but as the reaper raised the wooden stake, jeno slipped twin blades into his hands from his wrists. the reaper dropped to its knees, holding its face in its hands. blood leaked down its fingers. a small blade was lodged in the reaper’s left eye, the other hilt deep in its neck. jeno bared his fangs, ready to finish the reaper off, but the burning feeling of holy water left him writhing on the floor. the reaper next to him still screamed, unable to pull the blades out. 

jeno felt his vision blur, just barely focusing on the two reapers approaching him. they were angels, but their venomous snarls made them look like anything else. jeno forced himself up, this time stumbling for real. reaper blood was splattered on his face, on his clothes, and his mouth. his lip was still bleeding, like the lines cutting up his forehead and cheeks. 

“come on, we just want your blood, vampire.”

“oh yeah?” jeno eyed the seraphs laying on the floor behind them. they were still covered in jeno’s blood. perfect. jeno brought his gaze quickly back to the reapers in front of him, before they could catch on. he only had one shot at taking them down, and it required him getting his hands on his seraphs. 

"then fucking come and get it.” jeno grabbed a curved dagger from his belt (his last knife) which had a serrated edge. perfect for tearing through muscle and tissue. and perfect for slowing down a reaper or two.  

there was a moment of silence before they ran at each other. jeno’s quick senses letting him sidestep the reapers and land a particularly bloody gash on the arms of one of them. it almost got stuck before he gave it a sharp yank, pulling it out and throwing it at the other. the reaper froze in shock, watching blood trickle down between its eyes. the dagger was lodged in the center of the reaper’s forehead. 

_ bullseye.  _

jeno was spinning the seraphs around by his wrists again. they were a little bent and chipped, but still in commission. with one quick move, he ran them through the reapers. and then landed each in their chests. they crumpled to the floor, hacking up golden blood mixed with red.

jaemin’s voice rang in jeno’s head.

_ the quickest way to kill a reaper is injecting them with infected blood. _

_ the blood of a vampire, for example? _

_ the blood of a vampire, for example. _

jeno bent down, shoving the seraphs deeper and deeper into the angels bodies until their shrill screams were high enough to shatter glass. and then, silence. they lay still, unmoving: dead. 

jeno looked over at the reaper whose eye he had nearly gouged out. it was also laying on its side and silent. the vampire slowly stood to his feet, pulling out his seraphs from the corpses. he wiped them clean on their quickly decomposing bodies. jaemin mentioned that too. when killed… properly… a reaper’s body will almost immediately begin deteriorating. in a matter of minutes, their clothing would be the only trace of their existence remaining. 

the first two reapers that jeno killed had all but entirely disintegrated. jeno left their bodies in the street. they would be gone long before the sun rose. and any trace of jeno gone with them. 

just like the night before, jeno snuck back in through the fire escape. only difference was jaemin was waiting for him this time. the fallen angel frowned at all the blood and dirt, but helped pull jeno up and over the ledge. 

neither of them said anything as jaemin got to work on cleaning and treating his boyfriend’s wounds. jeno stripped off his shirt, tearing it into makeshift bandages before jaemin stopped him.

“don’t. i’ll take care of everything.”

jeno sat back and stared at jaemin in silence, a sense of calm suddenly overtaking him. jaemin’s was inches from his face, leaning in close as he cleaned and applied ointment on it all the small cuts on jeno’s face. he pressed small circular bandaids on each spot after. this was one of the few times jaemin was so quiet and attentive. he focused on jeno’s injuries intently, attending to him with precision. jeno couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

under the soft moonlight illuminating his features and cold night air breeze ruffling his hair and white pajamas, jaemin had never looked more demure, pure; he had never looked more angelic. 

so, this is what an angel truly looks like.

jaemin dipped a cotton swab in cleaning alcohol before pressing it to the corner of jeno’s lips, who immediately jumped back with a hiss. jaemin only offered an apologetic smile, mouthing the word ‘sorry’ before pressing the swab against his bloody lips again, albeit more gently. 

once done with his face, jaemin moved on to his body and arms. jeno had been spared for the most part; his seraphs had enabled him to land quick blows which had, in turn, allowed him to say out of harm's way, for the most part. 

there was still deep gash running down jeno’s side. jaemin grabbed needle and thread. 

an hour later, jaemin had finally stitched and cleaned up jeno to the best of his abilities. he wanted to take him to the hospital but jeno refused. all he needed was a few days at home and jaemin’s cooking. 

“but… we are out of ambrosia.”

jaemin looked up, realizing what jeno was going to say next. jaemin had to make a trip to the black market soon. not because ambrosia was illegal to sell, but because it was illegal to sell to fallen. and even in the black market, it wasn’t impossible for reapers to be present. jeno knew this too, but it was the holy way to wholly heal his wounds. 

jaemin’s voice shook a little as he gripped his knees staring at the floor before rubbing his palms on his joggers. 

“don't worry,” jaemin looked up, forcing a smile, “i’ll pick some up first thing in the morning.”

jaemin looked in the mirror one last time. he had never worn so much black— he looked like he was attending a week long funeral. jeno had convinced him this was the best way to make sure he wouldn't attract attention. he had even covered jaemin in some of his own blood to help throw off other vampires and any possible reapers. 

“vampires might approach you, but they'll just assume you're one of us.” 

“should I wear fake fangs too?” jaemin mimicked the way jeno often bared his bangs when he was about to drink. jeno only laughed, shaking his head. jaemin was so cute, sometimes.

“no need.” jeno smiled at jaemin, a sense of bliss overtaking him for a moment. jaemin felt it too— the calm spark between the two of them. jeno was still seated on the edge of the bed, jaemin facing with his back leaning into the dresser. 

jaemin watched as jeno stood up, making his way slowly to jaemin until their lips were inches apart. jeno pressed a soft kiss against the angel’s lips. jaemin melted; right now, the impending and possibly deadly task at hand was far from his mind. 

jeno let his arms pull at jaemin’s waist until their bodies were flush against each other. jaemin moaned into kiss, parting his lips and letting jeno deepen the kiss. jaemin’s hands trailed over jeno’s exposed skin, careful to not rupture any stitches or bandaids. jaemin could taste jeno’s blood in his mouth, and even though he attempted to pull back, jeno kept him held against him. 

“hey where do you think you’re going?”

“to get the first aid kit, you lip— its busted wide again dummy.”

jeno was sitting on the bed again, arms crossed.

“jeno, stop pouting. it’s messing up the suters.”

the vampire sighed as jaemin continued to apply the antiseptic solution to the corner of his mouth. 

“does that mean I can’t kiss you anymore?”  

“not until your mouth stops dripping blood, no.”

"you’re no fun when you’re serious, jaemin.”

jaemin shook his head, trying to stifle a laugh. for someone centuries old, jeno was quite childish. 

jaemin kept his hood up, eyes cast down as he moved quickly on his feet. jeno’s voice was in his head again:  _ whatever you do, don’t reveal yourself. there’s always a bounty for the head of a fallen. _

he pulled his black coat closer, wrapping it tightly around him as if it could help block out all the prying eyes. it had been a long time since he had visited the underground market frequented by the creatures of the night. when he had fallen decades ago, jaemin had spent years here. he had bounced from stall to stall, brothel to brothel. he hadn’t been seeking purpose, he was looking for a quick end. at one point, he wished a reaper would have taken him; his existence was futile now, wasn’t it?

that all changed when one day there were blood-curdling screams erupting from the main square. jaemin recognized the voice; it was the fallen that had arrived just a few days prior to him and the one who had taken him in under his wing, mark. jaemin had pushed to the front of the quickly forming crowd of onlookers, only to feel his heart clench. his head started to spin as his throat turned dry, rancid vile threatening to come up. it was a reaper; a reaper had caught mark. 

jaemin glanced one last time. he felt fear overtake him as he saw mark look at him. but as he watched mark’s glassy eyes leak tears and then blood, jaemin realized that mark couldn’t see him at all. mark was seeing something else entirely, he was far beyond anyone else’s reach. mark had warned him multiple times about the reapers, about how jaemin had to be careful. 

“why don’t you just escape to the human world, mark?”

mark had laughed off the proposition multiple times. it was preposterous. fallen living among humans? who had heard of such a thing? but as jaemin ran further and further from mark’s screams, blinking back tears, he knew that if mark had just listened to him, he would still be holding jaemin’s hand right now.

since then, jaemin had never come back to this treacherous place; he had no need to. not when it would remind him of his ex boyfriend. the one he couldn’t save. as jaemin passed the familiar main square, he shuddered. it looked exactly the same. nothing had changed; it was like jaemin had stepped back into time. 

the rambunctious laughter of stall clerks and their customers broke jaemin out of his stupor. he was here for jeno. for the ambrosia. his boyfriend was waiting for him at home. because the black market had barely changed, jaemin knew exactly where to go. when he got to the shop tucked away in the corner of town, jaemin was greeted by a familiar face.

“it’s been a long time, huh?” 

“... jaemin?” jaehyun looked up at him, shock written on his face. 

jaemin explained to him what had happened. how he had run away, escaped to the human world after mark had been captured and how he had fared since then. jaemin didn’t mention jeno or what he had done. the fewer that knew, the better. jaehyun only offered the younger boy an apologetic smile. he remembered how close mark and jaemin had been. after mark was captured and jaemin disappeared without a trace, he had just assumed the worst.

“but, I wouldn’t imagine ambrosia would be necessary in the human world?”

“more of us dwell in the human world now, and that includes the reapers.”

“have you… had a run in with any of them?”

“I have.” their faces were grim. still, jaemin refused to mention jeno. silent, jaehyun wrapped up a basket of ambrosia and elixirs for jaemin, pushing it into his hands. he shook his head when the fallen started fishing for coins in his pockets.

“just take it, jaemin. it’s the least I can do for you.”  _ and mark. _

jaemin walked quicker this time, meandering the damp underground passages underneath the main floor of the market. thankfully, he reached the door without much trouble. only once did he feel the prying gaze of a reaper on him, but he was able to quickly melt into crowd and slip away, undetected. 

once jaemin emerged back in the human realm, he finally released the breath he didn’t even know he had been holding. it was only noon. jaemin could still make it home for lunch. and he did. jeno was passed out, fast asleep just like how jaemin had left him a few hours before. he snuck a kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead, before leaving the basket on the bedside table. 

jeno woke up, slightly lightheaded. jaemin had made him take painkillers before he left.

“you know these have to effect on me, right?”

“and? just take double then.”

jeno had raised his eyebrows, doing as jaemin said. while they did in fact help subdue some of his pain. but the extra dosage also knocked him out in a matter of minutes. as he woke up, the smell of jaemin’s cooking filled his senses. jaemin. he was back, and safe.

jeno jumped from the bed, running towards the kitchen. jaemin stood over the stove, stirring a pot of chicken noodle soup— jeno’s favorite. (in reality, anything jaemin made was jeno’s favorite.) he turned off the stove, filling two bowls to the brim before placing them on the tray and setting them on the kitchen island.

“you’re finally up, sleeping beauty.” jaemin smiled, using jeno’s nickname for him. the first time jeno had called him sleeping beauty was the first morning after jeno had brought jaemin home from the bar. but jeno glowed it seemed for some reason today, more than a vampire should. jaemin thought he saw a hint of a blush on jeno’s pale cheeks. impossible; jeno wasn’t alive.

“and you’re back safely, love.” jeno brought his arms around jaemin’s waist, fully closing the gap between them. jeno buried his face into the crook of jaemin’s neck, drowning his senses in jaemin’s smell and touch. he never got sick of his boyfriend. jaemin was always his cure all. 

jaemin turned to face jeno, his fingers gingerly tracing the raised scars litter across jeno’s beautiful face. it broke jaemin to see what he put jeno through. all he ever did was hurt those he held dearest to him, it seemed. jeno brushed his thumb across jaemin’s cheek, catching the single tear falling from jaemin’s now glassy eyes.

jeno pulled his arms from jeno, instead leading him to their small dining table. 

“sit here, let me get the ambrosia.” jeno hummed, watching his boyfriend disappear and reappear moments later with a large basket in his hands. jeno looked at jaemin, head tipped to the side. cute, jaemin thought. jeno looked so much like a puppy at times. 

“jaehyun’s an old friend.” jeno wasn’t terribly surprised. jaehyun was friends with everyone in the underground black market. and he knew jaemin had spent years there before he had ever met him

“should i be worried?”

“he’s like an older brother, bastard.” jaemin offered jeno a square of neatly cut ambrosia. he ate it in one bite. before it had even completely gone down, jeno felt the overwhelming warmth of the miracle nectar spread over his skin. jaemin took another square applying it to wounds on jeno’s arms. on contact, the raised ridges immediately cooled down, slowly subsiding. jeno lifted his shirt over his, raising his left arm so jaemin could apply the cube to the twisting laceration. jeno gripped the edge of his seat, gritting his teeth as jaemin cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol first. 

wooden stakes were truly deadly. had jeno not dodged quick it enough, it may have very well pierced his chest and with it, his dead heart. 

jaemin eventually helped jeno up, putting an arm under his shoulders and helped his to the bedroom and into bed. he brought extra blankets from the closet, covering jeno generously. jaemin climbed in next to him, holding him gently, still conscious of his wounds. jeno pulled jaemin into his chest roughly, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“you don’t have to be so gentle with me. that’s my job.”

jaemin only smiled up at jeno, pressing their lips together again. he wrapped his leg around jeno’s waist while his fingers drew circles into his abdomen. jeno kissed back feverishly. this time there was no blood. 

jeno pushed jaemin down, his body hovering over the angel’s boyish frame. jeno stilled, just letting his eyes drag across jaemin’s face and body. he raked in his boyfriend’s beauty, committing every single detail to memory. he never, ever, wanted to forget just how blessed he was to have jaemin. 

jeno brushed back jaemin’s hair, letting his fingers his eyebrows and then down his cheeks before resting on either side of jaemin’s head. jeno didn’t cry all that often (unless it was because of jaemin— in that case, it was a whole nother story) but he felt tears well up in his eyes as he looked down at his boyfriend.

_ na jaemin, i love you. _

_ lee jeno, i love you too. _

_ I love you more. _

_ I love you the most. _

as jeno pressed a soft kiss to jaemin’s forehead, jaemin knew he had found home. and it was utterly beautiful, and it was his. they were both blessed to have each other. ironic; one had been cast out of heaven while the other had never been welcome. but that was because they created their own heaven, their own paradise, their own garden of eden where they were the only inhabitants. 


End file.
